It takes time to work it out
by yeahishipdrarry
Summary: Teddy and James have been raised like brothers but now they are starting to discover that with age comes new feelings they can't always explain... SLASH


**So this is one of my favourite pairings particularly when it come down to the next generation and this is a response to a challenge by cupid-painted-blind though I switched the pairing from Scorpius/Rose to James/Teddy. Problem? Nah, enjoy this :)**

**Years old Peanut Butter**

Teddy lay on the bed with a grin at his oldest friend, James Potter, who was lounging on his own with his ipod plugged into his ears. "I'm so hungry," Teddy complained, "But I'm sure as hell not going downstairs with that portrait on the wall. Last time it woke up the whole bloody house!"

"Don't know why you're telling me. I remember. I was woken up along with everyone else at five in the morning, much to my amusement of course," James responded sarcastically.

"Do you have any food up here?" Teddy asked his friend.

"No, I scoffed the last of it when Albus and I had a midnight feast the week before last. I think even my emergency supply box might be completely empty tonight, Teddy."

"Seriously?" Teddy moaned, "But I am so fucking hungry."

"Well... there is one thing I have that you could eat if you want," Teddy replied thoughtfully, "Though it may not be your sort of thing, I can't remember exactly what you like."

"I will eat anything," Teddy promised. "Just give it to me."

"Well, Rosie gave me a whole jar of Peanut Butter for Christmas last year and I never actually got round to opening it. You can eat as much of that as you like..."

And so, when morning finally rolled round with the rising of the summer sun, there lay two peanut butter covered boys with an empty jar between them, stomachs bloated by the large amounts of peanut butter they had consumed. Harry just laughed as he shut the door, not noticing that the fourteen year old and sixteen year old were holding hands as they lay.

**Dirty Socks**

James had just turned fifteen, that very same summer, and he was back to sharing his room with Teddy whilst everyone transcended upon their house; at the moment the Lovegoods. They were both lying on the bed but this time there was a pretty scowl on James' face as he surveyed the room with distaste etched onto his features.

"Teddy, look I get it, you're seventeen now and totally entitled to be a proper teenager but do you really have to make my room look like some sort of dumping ground?" James asked annoyed.

"Oh, I am sorry Mr Clean, I can't believe that I would dare to leave a single sock out of place when your room was so clean to begin with," Teddy replied sarcastically.

"It may not be the tidiest room ever but the smell of the dirty socks is really off putting for me. And... did you really have to leave last Friday's pants in the middle of the floor for everyone to see. You know that this will put of the girls that I have over!" James complained darkly.

"Stop kidding yourself James; I know as well as you do that you don't have any girls over here," Teddy said. "Or did you forget that we are sharing a bedroom this summer?"

"No need to be rude!" James retorted annoyed, "It's not like you have seen a single girl whilst you've been here either!"

"Maybe I'm not interested in girls," Teddy said, "Maybe... maybe there are boys I would rather invite over..."

For a second a pregnant silence hung in the air as they waited to see what else the other would say, Teddy worried of what James would think about him. But James just gave him the trademark Potter grin that he had supposedly inherited from his grandfather, and said, "Well I am fairly sure any guy you're snogging won't want to be climbing into your bed to find dirty socks lying in there either!"

Teddy just threw a pillow at him.

**Snowballs**

Christmas had arrived at the Burrow and with it came the fun of snow which meant all the children spent the majority of their time outside. Teddy had decided to come outside to watch them; declaring that he was much too old for a snowball fight. As the younger children tore round the garden with fear of being shoved into snow or having their face buried into it and the older kids tried to live out their fears, James walked over to sit next to Teddy who was staring out at the sun, with tears in his eyes.

"Look... I didn't want to ask you because I am no good with all that feelings stuff but maybe it would help. Do you want to talk about whatever is making you so upset? Have you argued with someone?" James asked.

"It's nothing... I just..." Teddy trailed off looking so thoroughly miserable, so ridiculously un-Teddy like and so unusual for someone under eighteen who was approaching Christmas.

"Come on you can tell me," James insisted.

"I don't want you to be all weird around me, though I know you've been really good about me being gay. It's just that I have fallen in love with this guy but we broke up a few days back, just before we came home for the holidays. I really did love him... and I suppose I am kind of heartbroken now," Teddy confessed with tears running down his cheeks.

James really was as awkward as his father had been with feelings stuff so just wrapped an arm round his best friend and held him tight.

"I know this won't help you much but you will find someone else for you who knows you better than you know yourself and will love you for the little things that everyone else don't know about. Then someday you'll both see each other for what you really should and you'll love each other forever," James said, aware he was gabbling a little in his nervousness.

Teddy turned and pressed a kiss to his best friend's cheek. "Thanks James."

"S'alright. Now, come on, I don't care how old you think you are because we are going to start our snowball fight," James said blushing. Then he grabbed up Teddy's hand and dragged them towards the balls of frozen water.

**Early morning detention**

It being the penultimate day of Teddy's penultimate year, James and Teddy had decided that pulling a prank by which they turned every single student's hair their house colours was the best thing to do. However it seemed that Professor McGonagall hadn't found it quite as funny and so, on the very last day of the year, they had found themselves with early morning detentions. Currently James was re-stuffing the cushions they had to do whilst Teddy – not a morning person – lay with his head on the desk trying to get some more sleep.

"Teddy, you could actually help me because it's coming up for seven now and I want breakfast before I go home," James complained.

"Too tired," Teddy complained. James rolled his eyes but really he had more important things that he wanted to ask Teddy about that if he could help him re-stuff pillows. "Er, Teddy? You know that guy you said you were going to ask out? Did you?"

Teddy raised his smiling head from the table and said, "What, Owen? Yeah, I did ask him out. He said yes."

"That's good!" James exclaimed, "Finally you have hopefully found someone who is worthy of your time, right? So are you going to be seeing him a lot over the summer holidays?"

"Yeah, hopefully. James... how come you've never had a girlfriend?" Teddy suddenly blurted out and at once regretted it when he saw James stiffen with embarrassment and awkwardness. James slumped into the chair next to Teddy and for a moment both the friends just sat there wondering what to say next.

"Teddy, how did you _know_ you were gay?" asked James quietly.

"Well it might have helped that some guy kissed me when we were at a party but I think it was more than that. It was more to do with the fact that for a long time I had been sneaking glances at boys and not girls. When the others talked about girls or their girlfriends I had no desire to have the same thing as them. It took me a long time to accept it but once I thought about it and watched myself as it were, I quickly knew," Teddy said seriously, "Is there something you want to tell me, James?"

"I...I...I think I might be gay too," James said, "And I don't think my parents are going tot be too happy."

"Ginny and Harry? Having lived with you on and off throughout my lives I can guarantee they will be just as fine about it when they find out you are gay as they were when they found I was," Teddy said warmly.

"I guess you're right," James said.

Teddy wrapped his arms around the boy he cared so much for and pressed a small kiss to his forehead.

**Leather Thong**

James had gone to visit Teddy in his quarters, as Teddy had been declared Head Boy this year. The Head Girl was actually a bit of a slut and was hardly ever around so James spent as much time as he wanted round there. As they were bored they decided the best thing to do would be to have a snoop round the girl's – Laura's – room. It was quite a messy room but there was a hell of a lot of brilliant stuff in it, they decided quickly.

"Hey, Jamie, come here," Teddy said when he pulled out a drawer in the top of the cabinet, "She has like thirteen ties all with names stuck to them."

In the cabinet there was indeed thirteen ties, some from each house and all with a different boys name on the back. They couldn't help but laugh as they looked through the cabinet but eventually closed the drawer and then opened the next one down. In there were more ties and in the next until there must have been fifty ties. In shock they closed the drawers and pretended they had never seen them.

Then James started rooting around in amongst her little souvenirs she had collected from around the world, displayed proudly on her chest of drawers. She had a small Irish clover from Ireland, then a tiny Tower of London from England, along with various artefacts. The best bit were all the pictures though of her with friends, family and past flames.

Then Teddy made a loud gulping noise and James hurried over to find Teddy holding nothing else but a leather thong. "Bloody hell," he whispered as he waved it in front of James' face.

"She actually wears a leather thong sometimes?" he asked incredulously.

"Bloody hell, but I bet every single guy in our year has seen this at some point or other on her skinny ass," Teddy said.

"You know, I would love to see you in this thong," James thought to himself but to his horror he soon realized he had said it out loud. Teddy looked like he was about to say something when James ran from the room, horrified at himself and never wanting to speak to anyone ever again. Teddy called out to him but he was long gone, their friendship shattered.

"**I think I'm dying!"**

James had managed to successfully avoid Teddy for over a month now and he had no intentions of ever speaking to his old best friend again. But now he wasn't even thinking about Teddy, as he lay in the hospital wing, feeling iller than he had ever felt before. James lay there, puking his guts out, hoping that if he could just get to sleep then he would be able to wake up feeling better. James had sent his siblings away hours before, not wishing for them to see him like this and his parents had promised they would call in when work ended.

"James?" came a voice from the doorway and James groaned, partly because he felt so ill, and partly because he didn't want to see Teddy right now.

"Teddy, go away," James moaned as he rolled over to come face to face with his old best friend. The time they had spent apart hadn't treated him well because his face looked paler than it should and he looked slightly nauseous himself. But Teddy said down on the edge of the bed and said, "You've been avoiding me for a month."

"This really isn't the time for us to talking about this. I think I'm dying!" James said before shutting his eyes and hoping the ground would open up and swallow him. But before he could tell him to leave again he suddenly sat up and heaved again and again into the bowl beside his bed. He was aware that Teddy hadn't left but instead begun to stroke his back rhythmically whilst making very soothing noises.

"Seriously, Teddy, just leave," James cried as tears rolled down his cheeks and waves of nausea washed over him again and again.

"I promise I won't speak once about the incident whilst you are here recovering OK, I just want to be with you when you're sick." So Teddy was allowed to stay that day and night but the next morning, when James was released, they went back to their cycle of ignoring and being ignored by each other.

**A sugary sweet something**

It was clear, Teddy thought as he sucked on the sugar quill in his mouth, that the only reason James was avoiding him was because he was embarrassed. If he could only just let him know that they didn't even need to speak of the incident again if he didn't want to then everything would surely be back to normal. This, however, was easier said than done and Teddy despised himself for not being able to think of a way to tell James this.

_Candy_. The word landed in his mind and suddenly he had an idea, a perfect idea that would make James comfortable around him again...

James had found the note tucked into his school book, the one he used for Defence Against the Dark Arts, and he couldn't understand who would have left him an anonymous note like that. The note simply said, _Broom cupboard on the first floor, third shelf is all yours._

James normally would have ignored the note but today he found himself wondering deeply who it could be, partly because he was bored and too ill still from the illness he had had a few weeks back to go to Hogsmeade. So he hurried on down to the broom cupboard and switched on the cupboard light. Inside, on the third shelf as it said, were a row of Fizzing Whizzbees and James scooped them up and put them in his pocket, collecting another note at the same time.

_Go to the Prefects Bathroom and find this where you keep your shampoo._

Again James scampered off to the bathroom and there, where he had kept his shampoo in the small alcove since fifth year, was a load of Liquorice which he loved. Another note sent him off elsewhere and soon he was travelling all around the school collecting sweets until he reached a note telling him to go to the room of requirement. He did as he was told and inside found someone sitting on a sofa in there.

"James," the person said and at once it was clear the boy who had been sending him all those sweets was none other than his old best friend, Teddy Lupin. James almost walked away but then he saw the tears on Teddy's face and so walked over and sat down with him.

"It's been a while since we last spoke," James commented uncomfortably, "And even longer since we last spoke _properly_. I've missed you, Teddy."

"I've missed you more. I just wanted to say we never have to speak about...what you said and I just want things to go back to the way they were. Is... is there any chance those things could happen?" Teddy asked with raw hope in his eyes.

"I... I need to talk with you about that," James said and Teddy shuffled in his seat, keen to hear what the boy wanted to say, "You see the thing is...for a long time now I have had a mild crush on you but I thought that was just me idolising you a little. But then I realized that I am attracted to you and I didn't know what to do so I ignored. Mostly I just didn't want to lose you as a friend, so, when I thought I might I panicked and hence didn't speak to you, losing you as a friend. It may sound stupid but I wanted to control when I was hurt."

"James, I will always love you. I don't know if I like you like that but when I come to a conclusion I will tell you," Teddy said openly, "But in the mean time can we please just be friends?"

"Of course," James said, and they held each other tight, pleased to be once more in each other's arms.

**An abnormally large stuffed animal**

Two years had passed since that conversation had taken place and they were best friends again. There was still a slight awkwardness, less touchy feely stuff and a few more secrets but generally all was well. They never mentioned what had happened and James reckoned Teddy had probably forgotten it by now. Today was his graduation day and he was the only person from the Weasley-Potter clan that was graduating this year.

However the whole clan had turned out to see and so they consumed three rows of the place, all excited and waiting to watch as James went up to accept the certificate. As the Head Boy, James would be going up last to accept his certificate but before that he would make his speech.

James clambered up onto the stage from shouts of support from his friends and family (his uncle Ron especially not to mention his Godfather Sirius) and yelled out to the crowd, "We have finally made it!"

More cheering ensued and James began his speech about growth, love friendship and ended with, "All of that can be found at Hogwarts because help will always be given at Hogwarts by those who ask for it."

McGonagall stepped forwards with tears in her eyes and said to the whole crowd, "We have a very special old-Hogswarts student who wanted to give the certificate today and say something special."

Onto the stage walked Teddy holding the certificate in his hands and looking really nervous. "I have known James Sirius Potter for the whole of my life and throughout that time I have grown to love him so much. He is kind and selfless, has always been able to make me laugh and always made me feel like part of the family. However it was only two days back when something hit me; I love him. But I love him as more than family, I am _in _love with him. I just had to say it to everyone, say it now for everyone to hear. Congratulations James on graduating and we all hope your life goes just as you want it to."

As he gave him the certificate he whispered, "I'll be waiting." Then he left the stage leaving all the other students to surge onto it and together they hugged each other tight.

It was an hour later when he was finally able to break free from his friends and family and find Teddy, smoking out the front of Hogwarts. "Hey Teddy," he said quietly, "Guess what?"

"What?"

"I love you too!" James said and leapt forwards to press a kiss to Teddy's lips. They could be seen later that day sitting by the lake with their arms around each other, hugging like the other was an abnormally large soft toy.


End file.
